Improvement in hand-stamps



diluted Staten R. HALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LcttefrsPatent No. 16,162, dated October 26, 1869.

Theohedul referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 0f the name.

full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing the front wheel or wheels with openings, as to expose a portion ofthe front surface of each wheel to view, and in so arranging the indicatiiig-characters upon the exposed surface ot' each wheel that they may be read from the front or same side, thereby avoiding the. use of dials attached to the wheels, or the neces` 'sity of examining both sides of the wheels to ascertain the position of the printing-type.

By this arrangement, I am enabled to place two, three, or any desired number of. indicated wheels upon one post or shaft, allowing-all to have bearings-of the same. size.

This I deem to be a great advantage, the principal points being cheapness iu manufacture, convenience and durability in use, accurate uniformity of impression from all the wheels of the series, incident to each wheel having au'equal and independent bearing upon the central shaft or axis, while in wheels having sleeve bearings, one upon another, each additional wheel added to the series having its own touch-and-go motion added t0 that of the wheel upon whose sleeve it revolves, and to all that may be back of it, which necessitates, in the old construction, au actual unevenness in the diameter of each wheel to compensate for the loss of motion, and preserve a uniform impression from all the wheels.

Figure l is a front elevation of the working parts of an ordinary cancelling-stamp Figure 2 is an inverted plan ofthe same; and

Figure 3 is a frontand edge view of each printingwheel, separately.

' Similar' letters of reference indicate like parts.

d a a represent a metallic case, as here constructed, having a solid back, but open front, with a post projecting in the centre, upon which the printing-wheels are suspended, and coniined in place by a large headed screw, shown at 2.

Both wheels are held in any desired position for printing by a catch, shown at c.

rIhe letters and figures representingr the twelve months and thirtyone days, shown upon the front of the wheels in iigs. l and 3, are the indicating-characters, the printing-type being upon the periphery of the wheels, the faces of some of which are shown in iig. 2, also in A B of iig. 3.

It will be seen that the front wheel A is a skeleton, allowing the characters upon the face of the rear wheel B, when put together, to be read through in connection with those upon its face.

Each indicating-figure holds a relative position to its corresponding printing-type.

In these drawings the indicating-characters are made to read from the top downward, but they may be arranged to read in line toward the centre or otherwise, as desired. g

Now, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The application of indieating-characters to the front side of two or more printing-wheels, when said wheels are so constructed that each has its own bearing upon the central shaft or axis, in combination with radial openings through the front wheel or wheels, for the purpose of exposing to view that portionof each wheel which bears the said indicating characters.

R. HALE SMITH.

IVitnesses:

Hennen NASH, JOHN E. BALLARD, 

